


Embedded Memories

by Cumberbatch Critter (ivelostmyspectacles)



Series: DouWata 30 Day OTP Challenge [9]
Category: xxxHoLic
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fear, M/M, Mentions of Death, Phobias, Thunderstorms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-13 21:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4538016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivelostmyspectacles/pseuds/Cumberbatch%20Critter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Watanuki's afraid of thunderstorms, but there's more to it than that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Embedded Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Self prompted because I always have to write about **thunderstorms**!
> 
> I do not own _xxxHolic_. Thanks for reading!

Watanuki frowned at the first hint of thunder rumbling in the distance, and winced when lightning lit his small bathroom. He sat up immediately in the tub, water lapping against his hips, and stared at the window, against the after-effects of the lightning. There was bright light beneath his eyelids, and pictures better left forgotten. He inhaled suddenly and grabbed his towel, scrambling out of the bath.

He didn't like thunderstorms.

Scared of them, actually. Which was pathetic. Pathetic, and childish, and completely _stupid_ for someone his age to be afraid of. But he was, terrified, even, which made it worse that there was a thunderstorm _now_ , when Doumeki was off in the other room. And of course that nobody knew he was afraid of thunderstorms, he kept it that way because it was a laughable idea, and the _last_ person he wanted to know was _that_ oaf...

Lightning lit up the bathroom again and Watanuki propelled for the door, one-handedly hanging onto his towel. He hurriedly got dressed and - winced as it thundered, and no, _no_ , he could not unroll the futon and crawl beneath the blankets right now, he could not, he could _not_.

"Hey."

Watanuki jumped as Doumeki spoke from the doorway.

"I'm hungry."

Watanuki shoved his arms through the sleeves, thinking that it was great that Doumeki didn't knock or anything, and it was a good thing he'd already put his pants on, that ungrateful brute, although he couldn't say any out of that out loud. His mind was frazzled, and speaking more than necessary was too much effort. "Yeah, well, go make something yourself!" he snapped, fear making him belligerent, and his voice pitching unnaturally because of it.

He cringed internally, because his voice was always a dead giveaway, and he looked away as Doumeki looked at him oddly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Watanuki."

The clap of thunder punctuating Doumeki's flat statement made Watanuki jump _again_ , and the whimper squeaked through his throat before he could stop it. The realization snapped into Doumeki's eyes, replaced with surprise and then barely there humor.

"You're afraid of thunderstorms."

"No!" The entire apartment seemed to shake. "I'm, I'm..." he trailed off, slammed his eyes shut against the blaring light, and scrambled mentally for something, or anything, but there was nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. He groaned, pressed his hands against his face, and strode out of the room.

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere!"

"Are you going to make me something to eat?"

"No!"

"Where are you going?" Doumeki repeated.

"Nowhere," Watanuki repeated, and jerked the curtains across the window in the lounge. Attempted to, at least, as he fell back a few inches when the lightning startled him yet again.

"You really are afraid of storms. Cute."

"It is _not_ cute!" Watanuki retorted, but he was so tired of arguing, so tired of fighting against Doumeki on this, and the thunder and lightning were making his stomach turn. He dropped himself in the doorway between the hall and the lounge, and leaned his back against the wall.

Doumeki folded his legs beneath himself to sit next to him. "Adorable."

"It's _not_ ," Watanuki snapped, pulling his knees to his chest. He dropped his chin onto them, and turned his head away. "... It was storming when my parents died," he muttered.

That effectively stopped Doumeki's teasing.

Watanuki heard Doumeki inhale slightly, and mumble an "oh" under his breath. And Watanuki kind of felt bad for killing whatever good mood Doumeki might have been in, but it wasn't really cute, it was horrifying, and he could still remember the bright flashes and the rumbling from that day so long ago every time he closed his eyes when it stormed.

Doumeki slid his arms around him, pulling him against his chest.

Watanuki tensed up slightly, swallowing back his fear and irrational panic, and tried to let Doumeki's warmth calm him down. "... What are you doing?" he muttered.

"You need someone to hold you, right?"

The flat tone made Watanuki smile, only a little. "I can manage myself, Doumeki."

"I'm right here," Doumeki replied heedless. "You don't have to be afraid."

Watanuki swallowed and closed his eyes briefly, before turning his face into Doumeki's chest. _I know_ , he thought, _but there's the engrained thought that_ you _might go away, too_ , and he definitely didn't say that out loud, because he couldn't, not now, probably not ever. And he didn't want to put that thought to words, because... he didn't believe in superstition and all, but he didn't want to jinx _this_.

Doumeki's arms tightened around him, pulling him closely.

Watanuki hesitated, and then reached up to curl his fingers into Doumeki's shirt, hanging on loosely.

Doumeki kissed the top of his head, and Watanuki smiled to himself, and maybe he could get over it, sometime, that thunderstorms didn't mean bad memories, but better ones. That probably wouldn't be anytime soon, but. Maybe.

Doumeki could help him with it along the way.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Also: headcanon that it wasn't actually thunder and lightning that Watanuki remembers, but actually the magic revolving around Sakura and Syaoran that he remembers the bright flashes and noises, and he just thought it was a thunderstorm.


End file.
